Healing Wounds that the Sea Cannot
by greenie06
Summary: What if Percy met his father before he returned the lightning bolt? What if he was only 12 instead of 17 like it was portrayed in the movie? One shot, fluffy story.


What if Percy first met his Dad on his first (conscious) night in camp Half Blood after he had time to absorb all of the new information and negative events that have happened? My take on what could have happened. It's pretty fluffy! So beware. And krhorsejumper97 is right! There needs to be more Percy and Poseidon stories! Enjoy!

Note: I DO NOT own anything from the Percy Jackson Series

Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon sat cross legged on his bed in Cabin 3. Slow, fat tears rolled down his face while soft gasping sobs let loose from his lips, releasing what could only be a fraction of the emotion Poseidon knew the boy must have felt. Hating to see any of his children in pain, most of all Percy, Poseidon looked away from the scene he had just witnessed. He clenched his fist and ground his teeth in frustration. The boy needed him, he knew that much, but the current jurisdiction prevented him from attending to his child in need. Percy had witnessed the presumed demise of his mother to one of his brother's monsters, learned that he was a demigod, that his father whom he has never met is the God of the sea and that the lord of all gods, Zeus, was out for his blood because he had been wrongly accused of stealing the lightning bolt. No, Poseidon shook his head to himself, that is too much for a child of 12 to bear alone. He may as well be a baby, for to a being that had lived as many millennia as he, that is exactly what he was, an innocent babe trapped between the temper tantrums of Olympia's best. He smiled softly at the memory of his child as a seven month old, despite the events that had just taken place. That had been the last time he had seen his son before Zeus forced him to leave behind those he cared about most. He turned back to view the scene of his son's grief again. He was laying on his side now, the light blue blanket that went with his cot had tangled around him. He clutched his pillow to his face, as if he were trying to hide his tears. Poseidon frowned; tightening his grip on his trident he leaned forward on his throne, trying to decipher the reason for his son's feeling of shame. Confusion crossed Poseidon's features; there was no reason to feel shame for his grief, he had just lost the person who meant the most to him at this time, his mother. Poseidon's musings were interrupted by a resonating sob that made its way from his son's pillowed face. It was then that Poseidon's eye brows rose in recognition of the reason for his son's embarrassment. Percy had wanted to wait until the middle of the night to release his grief, away from the prying eyes of his camp mates, and even Chiron. He had forgotten that mortal society does not tolerate weeping from males well. Was it viewed in the same sentiment for half-bloods? Poseidon sighed, alas he knew not, but did know that damn satyr should be there to help his boy through the pain of this day. Poseidon growled in irritation. What good was Grover if he couldn't protect his son from grief? But then Poseidon knew he had no right posing that question at the satyr, for he had not been there for his boy either. In fact, he had never been there for his son, except in his thoughts, and only when it was in the most desperate of times. He slumped in his throne with the guilt that weighed him down. He then made a decision that he knew to be correct; the only option that lay before him. He must see Percy, and take up his responsibilities as his sire. He could no longer sit back and allow his child to suffer, especially when he had an inkling of suspicion that Zeus has been breaking the own law he set forth by visiting Thalia regularly. Poseidon rose from his throne and stretched his limbs. "I will not allow Zeus' law to prevent me from helping my child. That ridiculous ruling has done enough damage to Perseus." He whistled for a hippocampus. One arrived within seconds to the call of his king.

"My Lord?" it responded. Poseidon's stern expression made the hippocampus nervous, and so it averted its eyes.

"I need to see my son immediately. Take me to camp Half-Blood."

"Certainly my Lord!" the creature nodded its head feverishly. The Lord of the Sea mounted the hippocampus and soon was within minutes of the shore line, which could have been due to his mount's understanding of urgency in his voice, or because it was anxious to be away from his master when he was not in the best of moods, either way Poseidon cared not, so long as it led him to his son as quickly as it could move.

"We have arrived my Lord!" the hippocampus came to a sudden halt. Poseidon dismounted and turned to regard the creature that had carried him several hundred miles only within 15 minutes or so.

"Thank you Doulos. I shall need your service again within several hours."

"Of course my King, I will be here waiting for you at that time." And with those parting words the creature swam away from the shallow water into the deeper darkness of the sea. Poseidon turned his attention to the beach. Wading his way through the shallows that had been lit up by the light from the moon, he saw a small light in the distance. Once arriving upon the beach, he liquidfied himself in order to reach the light faster, to which he instinctively knew to be his son's cabin. Within the blink of an eye he stood in front of cabin 3 in his human size. He looked up at the Trident that graced the front of the cabin, and smiled proudly. It had taken him some time to build the cabin, but nothing less than the best was deserved for his son. Again, his thoughts were interrupted by sniffling from within the building. Poseidon strode in quietly and began looking for the area which held his grieving boy. He found Percy in the same position as he last observed; on his side and wrapped up in a cornflower blue blanket which shook with every heaving sob that rattled his small but lanky frame, which he still had to grown into. Poseidon approached the blanketed shape cautiously. He had not previously thought of how to start off his first encounter with his son. No matter, his son needed him now, and he would not let embarrassment or uncertainty stop him from completing the task at hand. Poseidon knelt down in front of the mattress and sheets that hid Percy from him. He placed his hand on what he thought to be Percy's shoulder.

"Percy." With that one word the blanketed shape jumped and produced a tussled bed head full of raven locks. He turned so his back was no longer facing Poseidon. Percy's green eyes met their identical twins.

"W-who are you?" Percy stammered, embarrassed at not hearing the strangely familiar man approach him earlier. Poseidon smiled sadly and sat down on the edge of the bed, making sure to move slowly incase his son felt the need to escape from whom he perceived a stranger.

"Perseus. My son" Poseidon softly touched his son's facial cheek with the palm of his hand and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. He smiled at the slightly chubby, velvety skin that came in contact with his calloused fingers. His son was so young, he didn't even have the beginnings of a beard yet. However, the sea king knew this would not last, within a year he was sure the last of the baby fat would leave his son's face, and the soft skin would give way to the sharp beginning of jet black whiskers. Percy pulled away at the sudden contact.

"Wait…Poseidon?…Dad?" Percy questioned. Poseidon nodded and a warm smile spread across his face

"yes Percy, I am your father. I'm Poseidon."

"No!" Poseidon jumped slightly from the unexpected howl. Percy stomped a few feet away from his father who remained sitting upright on the bed.

"No!" Percy shouted with all his might, but the reply did not come out as he intended due to his voice cracking, though whether it was because of his age or state of emotion Poseidon knew not. "I don't want you here, it's your fault she's gone! Why couldn't you save her! Why?" Percy's green eyes flashed with pain and unshed tears.

Despite the assaults Percy hurled at Poseidon, he could not be mad at the boy, he knew he deserved at least part of his wrath. Poseidon felt his eyes crinkle up as a small smile played across his lips. His son, his Percy, is too proud and stubborn to receive help and comfort, despite the fact that he suffered so. His Perseus had far too much of himself within his personality. Yet this was no time for smiling, and he allowed the smile to lift from his face. He stood, and realized though his boy was tall for a 12 year old, he was easily 2 heads taller.

"Percy, my boy, if you would only let me explain-"

"What?! That you wanted nothing to do with me? So you just abandoned me and Mom?!" Poseidon paused and took a deep breath to calm himself lest he lose his temper. He knew that the biggest reasons for his own son's temper at this point was most likely his exhaustion and that he was stilling pining for his mother. He had observed his son many times from his underwater kingdom, and knew him normally to be a laid back and mostly happy child. He suddenly heard glass shattering and looked to the other side of the room to pinpoint where the sound came from. He noticed boiling water that had previously been calm and in a glass dripping down the side of a wooden desk. Raising his eye brows in surprise at the raw power that Percy possessed, he then turned to Percy himself who had his hands clenched into fists and had pressed his lips into a thin line, trying to control the anger he felt at the situation.

"Percy, dear boy, please relax while I explain my-"

"No.." Percy sobbed the last part of the word out, and Poseidon knew that exhaustion and grief were finally prevailing over his son's anger. He took several slow steps towards his son, leaving about a foot of space between them and opened his arms.

"Come here my Perseus, I'm here for you now my child." Percy had begun to weep again and raced into his father's arms, slightly knocking the wind out of Poseidon from the impact. Percy tightly wrapped his arms around his father's torso, finally giving into the grief that threatened to consume him. Poseidon wrapped one large arm around his son while cradling his head into his chest with the hand from his other arm, stroking the short, downy raven locks which matched his own. Percy's body shuddered with each sob that left his lips, and seemed to grip his father tighter with every tear that left his eyes. Poseidon frowned at the heavy sadness in the air, and noticed that with each passing minute Percy was leaning more of his body weight into the embrace versus standing on his own. Poseidon glanced back at the bed and knew it would not be long until sleep claimed his child's conscious state.

"Percy, let's go sit on the bed, I'm sure you're exhausted from today's events." Poseidon persuaded his son to release his death grip for a moment and to lift his head in order to lead him to his bed. Percy lifted his head and stared up at his father with red rimmed, green eyes that were still brimming with tears. Poseidon felt a deep weight grip his heart. No child should ever be so unhappy, most of all his son. Poseidon was the first to sit on the bed, scooting back until his back met with the wall that the bed was up against. He patted the space next to him and looked at his son with a warm smile.

"Come here Percy and sit with me while I explain why I wasn't allowed to live with you and your mama." Percy crawled onto the bed and leaned against his father for support, wrapping his arms around him while trying to steady the dry sobs that still softly made their way out from his chest. Poseidon wrapped his left arm around Percy and started to stroke his hair again. He inhaled the scent of his son who rested just beneath his nose. He smelled of a mixture of vanilla and the sea. A perfect combination of Sally and himself. Like a stallion who first recognizes the scent of his new born colt, he tucked away the smell in his memory so he could always remember it.

"Percy, when you were born I began to lose sight of my responsibilities as God of the sea. I didn't care, but Zeus did. So because of this he passed a law to prevent the gods from having any contact with their children in order to prevent us from becoming human." Percy lifted his head up and peered at his father.

"So it was because of you that Zeus passed this law?" Poseidon looked down at Percy with soft eyes and a small half smile that played across his lips, nodding slightly.

"It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, leaving you and your mother, but I also knew if I stayed any longer that ancient monsters would be able to better smell your divine blood due to my own scent rubbing off onto you with increased contact. But know that I never abandoned you, I was always in the background watching and providing guidance through your thoughts and dreams. I loved you and your mother very much, and still do."

"Still do? What do you mean? Mom's gone." Percy quietly regarded his father, stifling a yawn and resisting the urge to rub his eyes.

"Not necessarily my son." Poseidon beamed and pushed the hair out of his son's eyes.

"The beast that attacked you came from my brother Hades, and your mother dissolved in a bright light. I feel very confident in the idea that he is holding your mother hostage in exchange for something that you have. Most likely for Zeus' lightning bolt." Percy shot up at that last statement.

"But I didn't steal it! I swear I didn't Dad!" Poseidon hushed his son and pulled him back down to the bed, trying to lull him back to sleep once again.

"I believe you Perseus, I know you're a good boy and would never steal the lightning bolt." Poseidon spoke quietly while stroking his son's hair again, and finally felt his son's body relax once more; his eyes followed suit by drooping back to their previous half lid state. He hoped his child would sleep soon, he knew all too well what awaited his son in the morning. A soft sob once again escaped Percy and several tears flowed down his cheeks.

"I just want my mom back." Percy turned into his father's embrace and cried softly at the ache he felt in his heart. Poseidon hugged his son firmly and placed a soft kiss at the top of his brow.

"I know my Perseus, and you will get her back, I am sure of it. Know that I love you very much my son, and I am so proud of you. There is no shame in crying for those you love."

"I love you too Dad."Percy yawned as the comfort provided by Poseidon dried up the last of his tears. Poseidon tightened his grip on his son, knowing that his time was drawing to a close and was sure that he would endure Zeus' wrath for the time he already spent with his son. Percy gasped softly in pain from the embrace. Startled, Poseidon completely released his grip. He sat up and looked at Percy. Poseidon's eyes sobered up with concern as he thought about the wounds that could still exist from the minotaur. Had no one told his son that water would heal him? Someone had left his son to writhe in pain? He seethed with anger at the possibility but instead turned his attention back to Percy.

"What is it? Are you still wounded from the minotaur?" Percy clutched his side and while grimacing, shook his head in affirmation. Poseidon's hands gripped the bottom of Percy's night shirt.

"Let me see your wounds so I can heal them." Percy gasped again in pain and pulled his hands away so his father could heal him, though he didn't know how he would do it, but trusted him to keep his word. Poseidon lifted the shirt midway to his torso and saw an angry looking gash that had been stitched up in a hurry on the left side of his son's torso. He frowned at the sloppy work, and lightly traced the injury to feel for any unnatural heat that an infection would bring. Percy cried out and squirmed in pain at his father's contact with his wound. Poseidon glanced down worriedly at his son and ran his hand over his forehead in an attempt to calm him down, but paused at what he felt, feeling panic start to constrict his heart. So this is what it feels like to be a concerned parent? Poseidon mused. He placed his huge palm over Percy's forehead again and felt an unnatural heat assault his hand there as well. Poseidon cursed softly in Greek. Didn't this damn camp take proper care of their children?! It should not have surprised him that his boy would develop an internal infection from all that he had experienced in such a short time, but it was still distressing none the less. He looked back at Percy who now glistened slightly with sweat in the soft light from the lamp near his bed, forcing himself to take deep breaths to deal with the pain.

"Percy, this wound is infected and has spread to your entire body. I will fix this my son, don't worry about a thing." He patted his son's head in encouragement and glanced to the ocean that lay down the end of the hill. He closed his eyes and silently summoned some of it to a bowl that sat on a table across the cabin. Within seconds fresh sea water filled the bowl and Poseidon rose to retrieve it. Bringing it back to the bed he extended his hand from the bowl and watched in satisfaction as water curled around his hand and onto his son's stomach, rapidly entering the wound. In fact, it invaded the wound so quickly that it broke the stitches holding the injury together, healing his insides that had been previously infected. Percy gasped again in pain, slightly raising his body off the bed. Poseidon shushed his child once more, murmuring comforting words in Greek to him, and gently pushed him back down on the mattress.

"It stings!" he hissed through his teeth, and Poseidon glanced down at his son sympathetically.

"I know it hurts now my son, but trust me in knowing that you will feel much better soon." Poseidon grabbed a cloth that lay near the bed and soaked it in the bowl of cool sea water with his other hand, then gently wiped down his son's face. Percy sighed in relief and shut his eyes at the contact, noticing that the stinging in his side was starting to subside. Poseidon watched in approval as the last of the sea water entered Percy's body, which in effect closed up the wound, turning back his skin to the healthy olive color it should be. Percy sat up and started groping his side, eyes wide with fascination.

"The sea did this?!" a goofy grin spread across Percy's face as the infection faded away. He beamed up at his father who grinned back down at his son.

"The sea is a part of you Percy. Whenever you are injured or weak water can heal you. One of the perks of being my son." Poseidon laughed at the look of shock and awe that spread across his son's face and ruffled his hair. It was good to see his son returning to his normal state of mind.

"Though I am disappointed at the way this camp took care of you. They should have told you that water healed you! And at the very least properly healed your wounds!" Poseidon shook his head; none of it mattered anymore as long as his son was ok now. However, he was going to have a talk with Dionysus about all of this. But his plans of how he was going to get even with Dionysus would have to wait as Poseidon noticed his son yawning and scratching his eyes. He smiled at his son's innocence.

"I think it is far past your bedtime Percy. Why don't you lie back down?" Percy yawned again and nodded, stretching himself out on the bed. Poseidon pulled the blanket up his son, tucking him in. Percy giggled.

"Mom used to tuck me in when I was really little, but I'm too old for that now." Poseidon looked down at his son affectionately.

"Well I think we can both agree that I have a lot of catching up to do. So this will be our little secret." Percy nodded in agreement sleepily. Poseidon pulled up the chair from Percy's desk and sat next to his bed, stroking Percy's hair again to get the child to fall asleep.

"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep Percy, but then I have to leave. You're going to have to start a quest soon, and you need to be prepared for what you will encounter." Percy looked somberly at his father.

"Will I ever see you again?" Poseidon smiled down at Percy

"I can most certainly promise you that I will see you again." Satisfied with his answer and with the knowledge that he had his father's love and there was still a chance to save his mother, Percy fell asleep under the watchful eyes of his father, and for the first time in days felt completely safe and loved.

Percy woke to the sun's first rays spreading across the land. He looked around his cabin for Poseidon, and sure enough, his father had kept his word and was gone for the time being. He sat up in the bed and stretched, then freshened up and dressed in his orange camp half-blood shirt and shorts. He walked down the steps of his cabin and noticed Grover walking towards him. A grin spread across his face at the sight of his friend and he eagerly waved hello.

"Hey Percy! You're lookin' good this morning!"

"Yeah, I slept really well last night." The two friends started to make their way towards the main hall to eat breakfast, but once they reached the hall both saw an interesting sight to behold. Mr. D slowly limped out of the building, sporting a huge black eye and swollen lip.

"Whoa man! Check out Mr. D!" Grover quietly exclaimed. Percy smiled, knowing where the injuries came from and knew that from now on his Dad would always be there for him.


End file.
